Punjab and Haryana HC stays PU order on holding final exams

Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 15

Taking into consideration the continuous increase in COVID-19 patients, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday ordered interim stay on “final examinations” to be conducted by the Panjab University this month.

The direction by Justice Ritu Bahri came on a petition filed against Panjab University and other respondents by Yatin Mehta and other petitioners.

The petitioners were seeking the quashing of orders and notifications issued between May 26 and June 19, whereby final year students were directed to appear for their end-semester examinations.

Appearing before the Bench through videoconferencing, the counsel referred to notification dated June 19 before submitting that the varsity was to conduct the final semester examinations in July.

He also referred to the judgment passed by the Delhi High Court before contending that guidelines issued by University Grants Commission and the Ministries were unanimous that there was no compulsion on the varsity to conduct the final year examinations.

He further referred to another notification dated March 18 passed by Symbiosis International (Deemed University), whereby they had taken a decision not to conduct the final examinations. The students were to be given grades on pro-rata basis on their current semester’s internal continuous assessment.

“Keeping in view continuous increase in patients of COVID-19, there shall be an interim stay of final examinations in the month of July, 2020,” Justice Bahri concluded, before fixing July 23 as the next date of hearing.